


Clarity

by Call_me_darling



Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: A mix of the comics and the series, AU Riverdale, Beggie, F/M, Love, barchie, bughead - Freeform, friendships, jason is alive, varchie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-01-15 16:03:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12324276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Call_me_darling/pseuds/Call_me_darling
Summary: Reginald "Reggie" Mantle finally has the opportunity to spend some time with Veronica without Archie getting in the way. He finally has exactly who he wants.So when Betty Cooper walks into Pops with Jughead Jones, why can't Reggie stop staring?He can't be jealous. He's certain he loves Veronica, not Betty. Right?He's not so sure anymore.





	1. Chapter 1

Reginald 'Reggie' Mantle tried to concentrate on his conversation with Veronica Lodge but he found that he couldn't.

The dark-haired beauty was sitting opposite him in a booth at Pop's Chocklit Shoppe. She was leaning over the table and staring intently into his eyes.

  
Normally he would be taking advantage of the fact that Archie was detained in detention. Even Reggie knew that the redhead's prank on the Bee would backfire drastically. Now that Archie was out of the picture, even if only for a week, he had a chance to have Veronica for himself.

  
That freckled jerk had finally given him an opportunity to have Veronica's undivided attention. So why wasn't he taking advantage of it?

  
As Veronica was gossiping about the latest fashion faux pas' in Riverdale, he couldn't help but glance over his shoulder at the pair who had just walked into Pops. Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones.

Betty was wearing a white cotton dress and she had a pastel pink cardigan wrapped around her shoulders. She was laughing at something Jughead had said.

They were an odd pair. Jughead seemed to be the complete contrast of Betty. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a black sweater as well as that weird crown he always wore. As soon as Jughead saw Pop he raced over to the counter.

  
'Typical', Reggie thought. That boy was always thinking about food.

  
Veronica must have noticed that he was distracted. She turned around to figure out the direction of his gaze and visibly brightened when she saw Betty.

  
"Bets! Betty! Over here!"

  
Betty smiled when she saw Veronica. Her best friend was in a booth with Reggie. Betty had to admit that it was nice to see Veronica with someone that wasn't Archie.

  
Lately the two of them had been flaunting their relationship together. It was as if Veronica had conveniently forgotten that Betty still harbored feelings for Archie.

  
However Betty could never blame Veronica. She was still her best friend. It was also evident that Veronica was oblivious to the hurt she was causing Betty.

  
Betty walked over to Veronica's booth.

  
"Oh, hi Ronnie! Hey Reg! Don't you two look cute!"

  
Veronica giggled.

  
"Oh hush, don't you want to sit?"

Betty looked unsure. She had come to Pop's with Jughead yet she missed talking to Veronica.

Jughead had become a constant in her life while Archie monopolized Veronica's time.

  
"Yeah, that would be great...it's just....I came with Juggie."

  
It was widely acknowledged that Jughead Jones wasn't a particular fan of either Veronica Lodge or Reggie Mantle. Veronica didn't seem perturbed. She motioned for Betty to sit.

  
"It's no big deal. You can both sit down."

  
Veronica called out to Jughead.

  
"Jughead Jones! Come sit here with us. I'm paying!"

  
Betty smiled. It was just like Veronica to bribe Jughead with food.

  
It also didn't hurt that she had an unlimited cash supply. The Lodge family was one of the wealthiest in Riverdale.

  
Jughead bounded over with a grin on his face. He was never one to turn down food.

  
"Boy, Ron, I'm glad you're paying! I just ordered three cheeseburgers and realized I'm a bit short of cash. I thought Pop was gonna make me do kitchen duty again!"

  
Veronica turned to Betty and pouted.

  
"He eats all that food and never gains a pound. Life is unfair!"

  
Reggie grinned. "Life's hardly unfair when you're in the presence of the great Reggie Mantle."

  
Betty rolled her eyes while Veronica huffed.

  
"Please. You should be grateful to be in my presence."

  
Veronica flicked her hair over her shoulder. Betty laughed at her friend's antics.

  
"I honestly can't say who has the bigger ego."

  
Reggie grinned at Betty.

  
"I'm only being honest, Bets. They don't call me Mantle the Magnificent for nothing."

  
At this, Jughead decided to join the conversation. He had been happily munching away at his double cheese hamburger but Reggie was now being insufferable.

Reggie was the epitome of cockiness. He needed to knock him down a level. This was beside the fact that he had just finished both his hamburgers and the third was still on its way.

  
"Nobody calls you that."

  
Betty and Veronica laughed.

  
Reggie shrugged and wriggled his eyebrows.

  
"That's what you think."

  
Betty was the first to punch Reggie's shoulder.

  
"Ew, Reg, I'm eating here!"

  
Betty pushed the rest of her plate towards Jughead. He happily took it and began to devour its contents.

  
Reggie grinned sheepishly.

  
"Sorry Bets!"

  
Betty stuck her hand out to Reggie for him to shake.

  
"It's okay. You can buy me one next time."

  
Reggie shook his head at her before agreeing. He didn't know why the thought of seeing Betty again made him so happy.

  
Ronnie nudged him. He looked confusedly at her.

  
"Reg? Didn't you hear me? I asked if you wanted to go back to my place? Daddy's at a conference."

  
Reggie shuddered at the thought of Veronica's father. He didn't take too kindly to any of her possible boyfriends.

  
Reggie nodded to Veronica's question. He grabbed her hand and they left the diner after a quick goodbye to Betty and Jughead.

  
Betty enthusiastically waved the couple off and gave a wink while Jughead grunted through the mouthful of chips he had acquired.

  
Jughead turned to Betty.

  
"You know, they're not half bad!"

  
Betty giggled.

  
"You're only saying that because you got free food!"

  
"Well, what else? Everyone knows that the way to my heart is through food."

  
"Oh Juggie, you're so predictable! I always know what you want."

  
Betty suddenly felt sad. She wished that she knew what Archie wanted. He couldn't seem to choose between her and Veronica.

Archie and her had been best friends ever since they were little.

They had been next door neighbors for as long as she could remember. She still fondly remembered the first time they met.It had been in the first grade when she was walking home from school. 

_Betty Cooper was cross. Why did her family have to be friends with the Mantles? They could have chosen any other family to befriend!_

_Now she was stuck having to walk home with Reggie Mantle. Their mothers had insisted. The Mantles lived a few blocks away from the Coopers and it supposedly made sense._

_Betty would have walked home with her older sister Polly but she ended school a lot later than the first graders._

  
_This would have been an acceptable arrangement if Reggie wasn't such a prankster. His pranks weren't harmless though, they were rather mean._

_His favourite victim seemed to be Betty. She always had such strong reactions to his pranks.  
_

_Reggie was being more of a jokester than usual that day. He kept pulling on Betty's pigtails. It was an easy feat as her pigtails were right in his range considering his short stature._

  
_"Reggie! STOP IT!"_

  
_"What are you talking about?"_

  
_"You know! You're doing it right now!"_

  
_"Whatever do you mean?"_

  
_Just as Betty had been about to reply, someone else had come to her rescue._

_  
It was a small, red-haired, freckled boy who was now standing in front of Betty as if to defend her._

_  
Reggie looked displeased at the new addition._

_  
"And who might you be?"_

_  
The red-haired boy puffed up proudly._

  
_"I'm Archie Andrews."_

_He glanced at Betty._

_"You shouldn't pick on your friend like that."_

_  
Reggie stuck out his tongue._

_  
"She's not my friend. She's a girl! I'm only walking her home 'cause my mom said so!"_

_  
Archie appeared thoughtful. He turned to Betty and it looked like he was blushing._

  
_"You're Betty Cooper, right?"_

_  
As soon as Betty nodded, he continued._

_  
"My parents told me that one of our neighbors is the Coopers. If you'd like, I can walk you home?"_

_  
Betty didn't hesitate. Reggie was being mean and Archie seemed nice._

_  
"I'd like that."_

  
_Reggie, who had been silent up to this point, scoffed._

_  
"Whatever. She's annoying anyways."_

_  
Reggie turned back towards the school. He figured he could meet Chuck and Moose on the fields to play some ball._

_  
As soon as Reggie left, Betty turned to Archie._

_  
"Thanks."_

_"It's not a problem, really."_

_Archie was secretly pleased. He was an only child and this meant he normally didn't have anyone to play with._

_He liked Betty. She was the nicest person in his class. Last week she had made everyone in the class write Ethel a card when she had been sick with the measles._

_She had even managed to convince Jughead and that was a feat in itself. Jughead didn't like to have any form of contact with Ethel in the hopes that she would get over her huge crush on him._

_Archie had been spending time with Jughead ever since they had been seated together on the first day of first grade._

_Jughead and Betty were already good friends and that was surprising to everyone. Jughead wasn't interested in being friends with girls. Betty was the only exception. Jughead had told him once that she had bribed him with cookies. Archie believed him._

_As they turned into Lavender Lane, Betty turned to Archie._

_"My house is just over there. 11 Lavender Lane."_

_Archie couldn't believe his luck._

_"Gosh, I live just next door!"_

_Betty gave him a huge smile._

_"That's great! Say, would you want to walk to school together, since we live so close? "_

_"Yes! I mean, yeah, that would be cool."_

_Archie's blush only intensified as Betty hugged him._

_After they agreed to walk together to and from school, their friendship only blossomed._

_Archie and Betty were soon joined by Jughead and they became a close-knit group of friends._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! That's the end of the first chapter. Please comment and tell me what you thought! Just so you know, this isn't following Riverdale as much as I love the show. This is following the original Archie comics with a few of my own twists. There will be Bughead but it won't be the main emphasis. The emphasis of this story will be on Betty, the main character, and how she influences others around her. I also want to write about Reggie before the show cultivates their idea of the character. I also included something extra for you guys. Hope you like x
> 
> Extra: Reggie's POV 
> 
> Reggie scowled as he walked away from Betty and Archie. 
> 
> He had seen the way Archie had lit up at seeing Betty. 
> 
> He regretted leaving as that meant he lost Betty. She was the only true friend he had and he had been stupid enough to lose her friendship. 
> 
> Now he'd be walking home alone. Just as had been Betty's situation. Both of their siblings were at the high school. Polly Cooper was a year above his older brother Oliver. 
> 
> Oliver Mantle adored Polly Cooper and it wasn't difficult to see why. Polly Cooper was confident, determined and pretty and she knew what she wanted. Many of the boys at the high school had a crush on her. 
> 
> However Polly wasn't interested, she preferred college boys. Thus many boys, including Oliver Mantle, were left disappointed.
> 
> It seemed that both Cooper sisters were leaving the Mantle brothers disappointed. One due to his unrequited love and the other due to losing a good friend.


	2. Chapter 2

Veronica tugged at Reggie impatiently as she ushered him upstairs. It had taken them only a few minutes to arrive at the Lodge mansion. Riverdale was a small town, after all. 

"Come on, Reginald. Daddy will be back in a few hours."

Hiram Lodge, Veronica's father, was a very successful businessman. He dealt mainly in investment opportunities which only served to make the Lodge fortune larger. 

However if there was one thing, Hiram Lodge didn't like, it was male visitors. Archie always seemed to be breaking expensive things due to his clumsiness when visiting the mansion. Jughead's rare visits seemed to make all the food in the pantry disappear, including Mr Lodge's very expensive, imported Belgium chocolates. He wasn't a fan of Reggie's either but that was due to Reggie's father publishing an unfavorable article about the billionaire a few years back. 

Reggie shuddered to think what Mr Lodge would do if he found him in the mansion now.

It wasn't the first time he'd been in her bedroom. Though it was usually only when she was going through a rough patch with Archie. 

Reggie sighed. He hadn't ever remembered Veronica being this clingy. He supposed he liked it when she was emotionally unavailable. 

He couldn't ever deny her anything though. She was still gorgeous and certainly knew how to accentuate her figure. 

Underneath the short, black skirt and dark red halter top, she was wearing black ruffled lingerie. 

Reggie glanced at her admiringly. She certainly knew how to spend her money. 

Reggie walked over to her and smashed his lips to hers. She always expected him to make the first move. 

It was exactly how he remembered it, full of passion and excitement. He almost wanted to thank Archie for giving him this opportunity.

At least when Reggie saw the red-headed buffoon at school the next day, he would have something to hold over his head. 

Reggie pulled Veronica over to her bed and as he mumbled her name through his lips, he heard the shrill ring of a cellphone. 

Reggie scowled. 

"I swear if it's that freckled jerk."

Veronica leaned over to grab her cellphone.

"Calm down, it's just Betty."

Veronica didn't hesitate before she put her phone on silent and placed it back on her bedside table. 

Reggie looked at her confused. If it had been Archie, he was sure she would have answered it.

"Why didn't you answer? It could have been important."

Veronica shrugged. 

"You know I love Bets, but it's probably about homework or something. She knows I'm busy. Besides she'll understand."

Reggie appeared unsure.

"I guess."

Veronica grinned at Reggie and bit her lip.

"Now why don't we continue where we left off, Reggiekins?"

Reggie only nodded. How could he refuse an offer like that? 

.........................................................

Betty sighed when she saw Veronica's name on the caller screen. She had desperately needed her best friend earlier. 

Just an hour ago, her family had been notified that her older brother Chic had been shot. 

Nothing serious, they had said. It had apparently been a routine exercise gone wrong. 

It still hadn't prevented Betty from worrying. Chic was her older brother and he'd always looked out for her. 

She hadn't seen him recently as much as she would have liked though. He had joined the military about five years ago and was always away on business.

With his strawberry blonde hair and gentle blue eyes, he had many admirers. Veronica even had a crush on him once. 

Speaking of the brunette, Veronica was still calling. 

Betty moved her fingers to answer the call.

"Betty darling, you won't believe the news I have to tell!" 

Betty rolled her eyes. Veronica had the tendency to be a bit self-absorbed. 

She wearily replied,"What is it, Ron?" 

"Are you okay, Bets? You don't sound like yourself?"

There was a short pause and then Veronica began to speak again.

"Is it because I ignored your call earlier? If it is, I had a really good reason!"

Betty could hear Veronica giggling.

"I'm fine, Ronnie. Now what's this news you've got?"

"Okay well, as you know, I invited Reggie over to my place. That's not even the exciting bit though! Reggie and I were interrupted by a knocking at the door which we first thought was daddy but it was actually Archiekins! He had just finished detention and decided to stop off and see me on his way home. Isn't that cute?"

Betty was now intrigued. Archie and Reggie had always been rivals for Veronica's attention. She had never thought that Reggie had stood much of a chance though. 

It seemed that Archie getting that detention had really seemed to shine the spotlight on Veronica's other suitor. 

She wondered what Archie thought of the new development.

"Ron, what did Archie do? Did he see Reggie?"

"Of course he did, silly! I wasn't hiding Reggie or anything. Archie was definitely jealous and he nearly hit Reggie!"

"Wow, Ronnie, the drama really seems to follow you, doesn't it?"

Veronica scoffed.

"It's not my fault Archie got detention. Anyways we decided on a compromise, I'll see Archie on Friday and Reggie on Saturday."

Betty frowned. She was supposed to be meeting Archie on Friday for a movie. 

"Ron, are you sure he said Friday?"

"Oh most definitely, I even have it written here in my diary. Why?"

Betty sighed. Trust Archie to forget their date, again. 

"It's nothing, it's just that - "

Betty began to speak but was interrupted by Veronica.

"Listen hun, I've got to go, daddy's calling me for dinner. Chef Gaston just came back from France and he's trying out all these new fancy recipes. Meet you at Pops tomorrow after school?"

"Sure thing Ron, bye."

Betty angrily wiped a tear off her cheek. 

Did Archie forget about their date or did he just not care? 

Betty sighed once more. Archie Andrews had been one of her best friends since the first grade. Life had been so simple then. 

Now she was facing continual heartbreak and Archie didn't even seem to realize it! 

'At least I still have Juggie,' Betty thought.

She decided to send him a text. 

["Hey Jughead, are you up?"]

Immediately her phone lit up with a call.

"Hey Bets, what's up?"

Betty felt her eyes well up with tears.

"Oh Juggie, he did it again! Archie blew me off for Veronica."

"Oh."

Jughead didn't sound surprised. He seemed to be pondering his next sentence and Betty waited for him to continue. 

"Betty, Archie's an idiot. How did you find out?"

"Ronnie told me."

"How is the pampered princess anyway?"

Betty guffawed.

"Don't call her that!"

"You know it's true. Forget I said anything about Ron though, how are YOU?"

"Well, apart from Archie forgetting our date and my brother getting shot, I'm pretty good."

"Wait, when was Chic shot?! Is he okay?"

Betty felt warm at the hint of concern in his voice. 

"Yeah, it wasn't too serious. The doctor said he needs bedrest. Mom immediately insisted that he must come home where she can look after him."

"Wow, Chic's going to be in pretty good hands. Mrs Cooper and her cooking skills rival any restaurant."

Betty laughed.

"I think Chic's looking forward to the food the most. He told me that lately he has been living off ramen noodles and take away food."

Jughead groaned. "I pity the poor fella. Don't get me wrong, junk food is great. However there is just something great about the authenticity of a home-cooked meal." 

"Chic would agree with you there. When my mom mentioned her lasagna, he practically started drooling!"

"When is your brother coming home? 

"He'll be here next week. I'm so excited! It's been a while since he last visited."

"It'll be nice to see him again. I remember when Veronica had a strawberry ice cream cake for her birthday in third grade. She forgot you were allergic to strawberries and you didn't feel the need to tell her. Do you remember what Chic did?"

Betty smiled at the memory. 

"Yeah, we were at the beach and it was so hot. Chic saw the ice-cream cake, shook his head and walked to his car. Before he left, he asked me if vanilla was still my favorite flavor. I nodded and when he came back 10 minutes later, he was carrying a tub of vanilla ice-cream. At one point, Archie decided he was sick of strawberry ice-cream and we both sat under an umbrella eating spoonfuls of vanilla ice-cream from the tub." 

"Listen, Bets, I've gotta go, Jellybean's calling me. See you tomorrow!"

"Bye Juggie!"

Jughead shook his head as he put down the phone. Lately he couldn't stand it when Betty started talking about Archie, hence his abrupt departure from the conversation.

Archie really didn't deserve Betty. If there was one thing Jughead knew, it was that Betty deserved to be treated right. 

Elizabeth "Betty" Cooper was a nice girl and sometimes Jughead wished she wasn't. If she was more like Veronica or even Cheryl, she wouldn't let their ginger-haired best friend walk all over her. 

However as this was not the case, Jughead had to watch each time as Archie passed over Betty in favor of Veronica. 

In his opinion, Archie was making one of the stupidest choices in his life. If he had to choose, it would hands down be Betty.

Betty is sweet, genuine, loyal, caring, a great cook and a good listener among other things. Jughead was by no means a people person but he could always enjoy being in her company. 

He had to acknowledge that as much as he didn't like Veronica, she wasn't a terrible person. While she could be selfish or oblivious to the feelings of others, she could also be fiercely loyal to her friends. She also always knew how to cheer Betty up. She was a good friend to Betty mostly and Jughead was thankful for that. 

Even though Jellybean hadn't been calling him, she was only a toddler after all, he knew she would be waiting for him. 

The three year old expected him to read a bedtime story to her every night. He honestly thought it would get tedious but she was a very cute kid and it only took about five minutes for her to fall asleep. 

He turned to the table beside the cot to grab the fairytale picture book he always read from. However it wasn't anywhere to be found. 

Jellybean was prone to throwing anything she could get her hands on. The book was most likely hidden under various toys and clothing and Jughead doubted he would find it quickly. 

He decided to make up a story for Jellybean. It shouldn't be too hard since words always came easy to him. It was one of the many reasons he wanted to be a writer when he grew up. 

He picked up three of the plush toys lying in her cot. 

One was a lion, another a tiger and the last was a golden cat . Jellybean's newest obsession was cats. This was in part due to an encounter with Betty's cat, Caramel. Eventually he had to pry Caramel from Jellybean's grubby toddler hands and the only compromise was a trip to the local toy store. 

Jughead cleared his throat. 

In a voice, one only uses for babies, he began to speak for the cat. 

"Hi Jellybean, it's Bella (Betty) here, it's nice to meet you!"

Jellybean shyly giggled as Jughead made the cat plushie kiss her face with exaggerated kissing noises. 

Then Jughead picked up the lion and in a deeper voice, he said, " Hey Jellybean, my name is Adam (Archie)." 

Lastly he picked up the tiger and used his normal voice. 

"Jellybean!! Jack (Jughead) here! Have you seen my friend's?"

Jellybean nodded and pointed at the other two toys that Jughead was holding.

Jughead laughed.

"Yes, that's right!"

Jughead began to spin a story about the three friends going on big adventures. 

He had to improvise when Jellybean wanted to cuddle with the lion. 

"So, I guess, Bella, that it's just you and Jack now." 

He made the plush toys hug. 

In a mock high-pitched voice, he said, "I love you Jack."

He was now so engrossed in the story, he didn't even fully register the words that came out of his mouth next. 

"I love you too, Betty."

There was a pause. Suddenly he blushed.

"Bella, I meant Bella!" 

As Jughead glanced over to the cot, he realized two things.

One: Jellybean was fast asleep.  


Two: He might like Betty Cooper as more than just a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! That's the end of Chapter 2. I liked how this started but didn't really like how it ended so I apologize for that...It's going to be a complicated path for all the characters and I promise some of you will be hitting your head at the stupidity some of these characters will demonstrate. I've got a lot more planned and this is only the beginning, so buckle in!


	3. Chapter 3

Betty had woken up that morning in a good mood. Her chest felt light. 

Normally she'd still have the dried tear marks on her cheeks after another night of crying over Archie. 

She was so thankful that she had called Jughead. He always knew what to say to make her feel better. 

She was fed up with Archie though. 

She thought, 'For once, I'm not gonna let him off easy.' 

She knew that to conjure up this version of herself, she had to dress the part. Polly had always said that to act the part, you had to look the part. 

She grabbed a blue skater skirt and paired it with a grey vest and her black sneakers. Normally she'd have paired the two pieces in separate outfits, maybe jeans or a sweater. 

She walked over to the mirror. 

It still didn't feel right. There didn't seem to be too much of a change. She was still, undeniably, sweet Betty Cooper. 

She decided to free her hair of her usual ponytail and left it down instead. 

She eyed the black kitten heels that her aunt had gifted her for her birthday. 

Betty had been uncertain about the gift but Aunt Lucy had insisted that every girl needed a pair of black heels. 

She sighed.

'It's now or never'

She swapped her sneakers for the heels but decided to pack the sneakers in her satchel. 

'Just in case,' she thought.

She grabbed her satchel and walked downstairs. 

Her father had already left for his job as the chief editor at the Riverdale Gazette. Mornings at the newspaper tended to start early.

Mr Cooper's favorite saying was "The news doesn't print itself!".

The Riverdale Gazette was actually how the Coopers had become close friends with the Mantles.

Ricky Mantle owned the newspaper and had hired his good friend, Hal Cooper, to work for him. 

Victoria "Vicky" Mantle was then introduced to Alice Cooper, who went to a different high school, and the two became best friends. 

It also helped later that their children were of similar ages. The Coopers and the Mantles had been close friends ever since.

Betty's mother was in the kitchen sipping a cup of coffee. However her mother wasn't the only person in the kitchen. Lounging at the kitchen island was Vicky Mantle. She appeared to be drinking some green concoction. 

Vicky Mantle smiled when she saw Betty.

"Hey Betty dear, you look nice today! Are you trying to impress anybody special?" She winked at Betty. 

Betty blushed. "Thanks Mrs Mantle. Just trying a new look I guess."

Alice Cooper decided to voice her thoughts. "Now Betty, I don't mind the new outfit but please put a sweater over it, it's so cold outside!"

Vicky nodded. "Normally I'd say your mother's just worrying but it is quite cold outside and the flu seems to be going around. My poor Reginald has been confined to his bed today."

Betty was shocked. "Reggie has the flu?"

Reggie was always so healthy, she didn't think he ever got sick. 

Vicky nodded again. "He'll be off school for a couple of days, I think. I know it sounds bad but I'm actually looking forward to taking care of him. You all know how independent Reginald is."

Betty decided to leave. She felt as if she was intruding on a conversation between the two mothers. 

"Bye Mom! Bye Aunt Vicky!"

Alice Cooper hugged her daughter. "Bye darling."

Vicky Mantle shouted out. "Bye Betty, it was lovely to see you again. You must come visit!"

As Betty walked down the road, Alice Cooper shed a tear. 

Vicky Mantle glanced knowingly at her friend. "They grow up so fast, don't they?"

________________________________

Betty Cooper would have thought it was a normal day at Riverdale High if it wasn't for all the stares. 

If anything, she felt rather self-conscious. 

On any other day, she would have worn jeans and a t-shirt or a cute dress with her hair tied back. 

Yet today was different. Today would finally be the day that she stood up for herself. She was tired of the way Archie disregarded her. Even though she knew it wasn't always intentional, it still hurt. 

As she walked to her locker, she could see two figures waiting there. Jughead and Archie.

Archie had been engrossed in a conversation with Jughead when suddenly his friend stopped speaking. 

"Jug, hello? Juggie, are you there?" 

Archie turned to where Juggie's eyes were transfixed. 

He felt his mouth open. "Is that Betty?"

Archie had never seen her like this. He had always seen her as the 'girl next door' kind of pretty. And now he was fighting the urge to kiss her in front of everybody. 

Betty glanced at her friends quizzically as she arrived at her locker. "Hey guys, what's wrong?"

Jughead was the first to speak. "Hey Bets, there's nothing wrong at all, you just look different I guess." Actually she looked stunning but he couldn't find the nerve to tell her that. 

Betty fidgeted with her hands. "Oh, does it look bad? Is that why everyone's staring?"

Archie chuckled and put his arm around her. Did Betty really not realize? "Nope Bets, you look nice. So are we still on for the movies tonight?"

Betty pushed his arm away. "Why would we be going to the movies?"

Archie looked confused. "What do you mean? We made this plan a while ago?" 

Betty huffed. "That was before you decided to take Ronnie instead."

Jughead looked around. Veronica Lodge was always at her locker at least five minutes before the bell rang. "Where is Veronica anyway?"

Archie looked sheepish. "Ronnie can't go. She's sick with the flu."

Betty couldn't believe what she was hearing. For a second, she thought that she had been wrong, that she had misheard Veronica on the phone yesterday. 

This was even worse. She had become Archie's second choice. 

Betty wiped a tear from her eyes. "When were you going to tell me that you'd cancelled our date?"

Archie remained silent. In all honesty, he'd forgotten about his date with Betty when he'd scheduled that date with Ronnie. He was going to tell her about it that morning and he hadn't been that bothered about it. He'd known that Betty would forgive him. 

Except now, something was different. Nothing had panned out as he thought it would. Instead of seeing Betty's forgiving smile, she was glaring at him.

"I'm tired of this Archie Andrews. I can't act as a replacement for Veronica anymore. Until you can treat me with respect, I don't think we should talk." 

Archie's eyes widened and he looked panicked. "But Bets-"

Betty sighed then shook her head. "Bye Archie."

The bell rang and Betty walked away.

Archie turned to Jughead. "I really messed up this time, didn't I?"

Jughead rolled his eyes. "No kidding."

As soon as the bell had rung, Betty made her way to her AP English class. 

She was thankful that she wouldn't be seeing Archie. Most of her friends had elected not to join AP English. 

Jughead was one of the few in AP English with her. Veronica was smart enough to join the class but didn't want to put in any more effort and Archie didn't have time for anything but his football and music. 

Other people that had joined the class were Ethel Muggs, Dilton Doiley, Nancy Woods and Reggie Mantle as well as a few others. 

Today Mr Evans was handing out the mid-term Shakespeare projects. The students would be paired in groups of 4. 

Mr Evans was a teacher who you either liked or disliked. He was incredibly strict but he was passionate about his subject. 

Betty liked him but she knew that most of the class weren't of the same opinion. He had a tendency to assign crippling piles of homework. Jughead and her often had to delegate the work between the two of them to get it all done. 

Even if Betty hadn't liked the teacher, English would forever remain one of her favorite subjects. 

It was her dream to one day study to become a reporter. It seemed to run in her family too. Her father was the editor-in-chief at the Riverdale Gazette and her sister had just moved to New York for a job as a news anchor.

She knew that to achieve her goal that she would have to do well in English and her extra-curricular activities would have to be noteworthy. 

She had joined the cheerleading team in her sophomore year and had made it because she was a legacy (Polly Cooper was the star cheerleader back in her Riverdale High days.). Now in her senior year she was also part of the debate club, the prom committee, the baking society (Jughead had made her join), the school's newspaper known as the Blue and Gold and she also taught little league baseball to kids on the weekends. Needless to say, she was busy. 

Mr Evans had already picked out the groups which elicited a couple of groans. 

Betty was in the first group which consisted of herself, Nancy Woods, Dilton Doiley and Reggie Mantle. 

Betty had grinned when she had found out her group. Nancy was a close friend of hers and Dilton was always great to work with in a group. Reggie wasn't bad either. English was one of his best subjects. However he wasn't exactly a team player. 

Betty volunteered to drop off the assignment at Reggie's since she lived the closest to him. 

On her way to science with Professor Flutesnoot, Jughead walks beside her complaining about the group that Mr Evans assigned him to.

"Trula Twyst! What a nightmare! You know, she still thinks she can make me give up my love of food!"

Betty giggled. Trula Twyst was a girl who refused to believe that Jughead was indifferent to girls.  
She spent her time along with her friends trying to convince him that girls were more important than food. Her mother, Krista Twyst, is a well-known writer. 

Trula could be quite persuasive with her words and it seemed to frustrate her that Jughead was immune to her charm.

Jughead continued on, lost in his own despair. "And Ethel Muggs! Why me? I got the worst group in the history of groups!"

"It can't be that bad. Who's the fourth member?"

Jughead scratched his head before answering. "Adam Chis...Chisholm, yeah, that's it!" 

Betty tilted her head. "Who?"

"The new guy who transferred from Greendale."

Just as Betty was about to speak, she was interrupted by none other than Cheryl Blossom. 

"Oh, he's a dish alright! I've already called dibs on him."

Betty laughed. "Of course you have! I've missed you! How was Milan?"

The Blossoms had decided to take an impromptu trip to Italy for Milan Fashion Week. Veronica had been jealous because her father had refused to take her this year. Apparently he was still reeling from her past shopping trip. 

"Milan was fabulous and I even got a bit of a tan! Italian boys are to die for! I should have taken Italian." Cheryl flipped her hair. "Apparently I'm a natural."

Nobody quite knew when Betty Cooper and Cheryl Blossom had become friends. Many assumed it was when Jason set his eye on Betty and Cheryl warned her against him. Or even when Betty and Veronica were having one of their fights (ones that usually involved Archie). 

Slowly but surely, the girls were meeting at Pop's and having sleepovers. Veronica hadn't liked it but Betty could be stubborn when she wanted to and she had decided that her and Cheryl were going to be friends. Nowadays Veronica and Cheryl still had a friendly rivalry and Betty seemed to be the buffer in-between. 

Jughead cleared his throat. He didn't like Cheryl much. 

"Bets, I'm gonna go. I forgot I had Home Ec. See you later."

Betty nodded before Jughead turned away. 

"Listen Cheryl, Juggie's got the right idea. Flutesnoot won't be happy if I'm late. See you at lunch?"

After Cheryl confirmed in the affirmative, they both headed their separate ways, Betty walked to Science while Cheryl walked to Home Economics.

________________________________

Jughead sat in Home Economics with Archie. This was his favorite class. What wasn't there to love about free food?

Archie had joined purely for the fact that many girls (including Veronica and Cheryl) made up the class. 

Today, however, Archie was upset. The only girl on his mind was Betty. They had been friends for what felt like forever and he couldn't imagine losing her. 

Jughead was conflicted on the matter. He didn't like to see Archie so upset but honestly, he got what he deserved after treating Betty like he did. 

Like the loyal friend he was, he would conspire to get his two friends talking again. First he would let Betty's anger subside. He decided he would talk to her tomorrow about Archie at the meeting for the Blue and Gold. It would be a calm environment with few witnesses. 

The school's newspaper had made their friendship stronger after they both joined. Betty had insisted that Jughead join partly because he was a great writer and partly because he had forced her to join the baking society.

Jughead sighed. Archie was upset, he had been put in a group with Trula and Ethel and now his Home Economics teacher, Miss Crouton, had decided that they were going to make vegan burgers.

He could only hope that Betty was having a better day than him. 

Betty Cooper was tired. It had been a long day but thankfully since it was a Friday, they had ended early. 

Even though it had been tiring, she had enjoyed most of the day. She had some nice conversations with Cheryl, Nancy and Maria at lunchtime which normally didn't happen. 

As much as Betty loved Veronica, she tended to monopolize most conversations.

Betty had one last thing to do before she got home. She gripped the copy of Mr Evans's Shakespeare assignment in her hand. 

There it was, Rochester Avenue, just like she remembered. 

According to her memory, it was the second house on the left. 

Betty walked swiftly to the front door and rang the doorbell.

A moment later, the door opened. A man, with dark hair that was greying at the edges, stepped out. 

Betty grinned at him. 

"Hi Mr Mantle, I'm here to see Reggie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so it's been a while since I last updated... Sorry! I've been so busy studying for my exams (the exams that I start this week). It might be a while before I get another chapter out. I just want to say thank you to all those who have commented or have given me kudos. It really is appreciated x


	4. Chapter 4

Mr Mantle blinked before he broke out into a huge grin. "Little Betty Cooper, is that you?"

Betty laughed. "The one and only. How are you Mr Mantle?"

Mr Mantle made a shooing motion with his arms. "Oh, none of that formal stuff! It's Uncle Ricky to you, kid."

Betty felt warm inside. Reggie's parents were some of the sweetest people she knew.

"Thanks uncle Ricky. I'll ask again: how are you?"

"I'm alright. I'm not too sure about Reggie though. I decided to come home for a lunch break and the boy sure can complain. Work at the office has been incredibly busy lately, especially since your father decided to add another section to the newspaper. He's a go-getter alright." Ricky Mantle chuckled.

Betty smiled as she thought of her father. Mr Mantle had described him perfectly. Mr Cooper was always looking for the next opportunity to arise. 

Betty noticed that Mr Mantle had a puzzled expression on his face. 

"It's been a while, hasn't it? Since I last saw you?"

Betty's eyes lit up in mirth. Mr Mantle was such a joker. "I think it was just over two weeks ago. Your old age is catching up to you."

Ricky Mantle winked. "You've got that right. Time waits for nobody. I still can't believe how big you kids have gotten. I mean, I still remember you with your braces on."

Betty blushed. It had been a very awkward stage of her life. "Yeah, I remember that. I was also the tallest girl in my class for a month. Then Ethel passed me and she just kept growing!"

Mr Mantle nodded. "Reggie was really jealous. He only shot up about a year or two ago."

Betty giggled. She had almost forgotten when Reggie had been really short. 

It had been convenient for him when they were younger and he could pull her pigtails but nobody wants to be short in high school. Especially someone like Reggie who played as many sports as he could manage. 

However as soon as Reggie had got that growth spurt, he didn't just sit around. He started a new workout regime and before the end of the semester he was playing in the first football team. He'd always been fast but after that growth spurt he became a force to be reckoned with. 

Betty could admit that he was good. She'd seen the football team practice during cheerleading. If anything, Reggie was determined. Archie had only made quarterback last year while Reggie had already been in the first team a year. 

"Reggie's doing really well in football from what I see. That growth spurt came in handy!" 

Mr Mantle nodded his head. "Sport's great and all but Reggie needs to focus on his studies too. He's going to need good grades to study journalism at Columbia."

Betty shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe it. That's what I'm planning to study!"

Mr Mantle's eyes lit up. "So the news bug does run in the family then! I was discussing it with your parents the other day." He shook his head in amazement. "Like father, like daughter."

Betty blushed. "Thanks Uncle Ricky."

Mr Mantle smiled. "No problem, kid. Is anyone else planning to go to Columbia?"

Betty shook her head. "Not that I know of. Most kids in Riverdale like to stay close." Betty looked down. "I'd stay too but Columbia University has one of the best journalism programmes in the country."

Mr Mantle nodded in agreement. "That they do." He winked. "So are you and Reggie planning to room together? I hear that's what some couples like to do these days."

Betty felt her entire face heat up. Her and Reggie? She quickly rushed to correct Mr Mantle. 

"Oh, no? Reggie and I? We're not dating! I'm dropping off some work he missed."

Mr Mantle seemed, dare she think it, disappointed. "That's a shame. Reggie needs a sweet girl like you in his life. All the others he seem to date are...." Mr Mantle trailed off but Betty could use many adjectives to describe the type of girls his son brought home: confident, snooty, wild, sexy brunette. 

"Reggie and I are just friends." 'If even that', she thought. Betty gestured to the pile of papers in her hands. "I'm just delivering his work. Do you mind if I come in? I need to explain the assignment to Reggie."

Mr Mantle ushered Betty inside. "Of course! Of course! My home is your home."

Betty chuckled. "Be careful what you say, Uncle Ricky, I might just take you up on that. Aunt Vicky's hot chocolate is to die for!"

Mr Mantle was about to speak when they both heard a voice calling from upstairs. 

"Dad? Who are you talking to?"

Mr Mantle shouted then. "It's Betty. She's been sweet enough to bring the work you missed." He then ushered Betty up the stairs. "It's the first door on the right. You can't miss it!"

Betty quickly walked up the stairs and knocked on the door Mr Mantle had said. 

"Cooper, is that you?"

"Yeah Mantle, can I come in?"

"Sure."

Betty opened the door and glanced inside. The curtains were drawn and the room was pretty dark. If she looked closely she could see a vague silhouette of a person in the bed. 

"Jeez Reginald, you're really full of doom and gloom today."

Reggie rolled his eyes. "Can you blame me? I'm sick and I feel terrible."

Betty placed her backpack on the ground. She decided to open one of the curtains. "There. That's better."

As Betty opened the curtains, Reggie was able to see her better. He had to fight hard not to let his jaw drop. 

Damn. Cooper looked good. She didn't just look good though, she looked hot. He didn't think he'd ever have the guts to tell her that though. 

Instead he groaned. "I'm a bit sensitive to the light right now."

Betty laughed then. "Your dad was right. You sure can complain."

Reggie sat up a bit. Then he huffed. "It's not my fault I'm sick."

"It seems that all men do this then."

Reggie furrowed his eyebrows. "Do what?"

Betty winked. "Overreact when they have the flu. Chic does it too. I suppose you got it from Ronnie?"

Reggie nodded. "How'd you know?"

"She was absent today as well."

"Oh."

There was a silence before Reggie cleared his throat. "So since you don't seem all that sympathetic to my plight, you should just get whatever you came here to do over with."

Betty giggled. She could sense that Reggie was getting defensive. "Don't worry, Reggie, you're kinda cute when you're like this. I guess being sick makes you less of a -"

"Charming gentleman? Magnificent specimen? Handsome hunk?" Reggie wriggled his eyebrows. 

Betty shook her head. "Good choice of words though. I was heading towards a more unsavory word though."

Reggie shrugged. Then he grinned. "I know you want me, Cooper."

Betty stuck out her tongue. "You wish, Mantle." She then placed the pile of papers under her arm on his desk. "That's all the work from today. We also got assigned a group project in English. You're in my group along with Nancy and Dilton."

Reggie whistled. "Sweet. Reckon Dilton will do the whole project for us?"

Betty frowned. "No, I'm not letting you exploit Dilton just because you want to be lazy."

"Aw Bets, you're no fun."

Betty crossed her arms. "I can be plenty of fun."

Reggie lifted his eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"You don't know me Reggie Mantle."

Reggie seemed to be staring deep into her eyes. "What if I said I'd like to?"

"Like to what?"

"Get to know you."

There was a deep frown on Betty's face before it disappeared. She smiled suddenly with a twinkle in her eyes. "That was good Mantle. You almost got me. Listen I've got to go." Betty grabbed her backpack from the floor and headed to the door. "Get better now because I'm not having you use being sick as an excuse for not doing any work. I know you too well Mantle." She winked before closing the door. 

Reggie sighed. If only she knew that he'd never shirk his responsibilities on this project. He'd get to spend more time with her. If only she knew that he wasn't kidding. 

Reggie raked his hands through his hair. He hadn't seen this coming. He was totally crushing on Betty Cooper.

________________________________

"Bye Uncle Ricky! Hopefully see you soon!" Betty smiled as she waved the elder gentlemen off. 

As she walked off, she spotted the older Mantle brother, Oliver, coming up the pathway.

It was scary how alike Reggie and Oliver were looks-wise. They both had black hair and had inherited their father's dark brown eyes. However Reggie's face was more angled than his older brother. They had slightly different physiques too. Even though they both were tall, Oliver's frame was more lanky. 

At one point, the Mantles must have expected Oliver to take over the family business, the Riverdale Gazette, but Betty could see why that wasn't the case anymore. Oliver Mantle had dropped out of college and decided to join a band. They were called "The Wanderers" and the type of music they played was called alternative-rock (as Oliver had once explained to her). So instead the family business had been handed down to Reggie. Betty supposed that he would be a better fit. Oliver could be quite spontaneous when he wanted to be. He was quite a lot of fun too. 

Betty still remembered four years ago at the Mantle house. Reggie had invited everyone over for a party while his parents were away. 

As Oliver was studying at a local college, he often visited home on the weekends. Reggie begged him to buy them alcohol and he surprisingly agreed. They hadn't realized at the time that the alcoholic beverages he bought had 3% alcohol at most in them. 

At fourteen, none of them had minded anyway. They just wanted to seem older and alcohol seemed to be a staple at all the teen parties. Betty chuckled. She still remembered Oliver holding Veronica's hair as she vomited in the bushes. It had turned out that she had snuck in a flask of vodka and had been drinking that too. 

Oliver grinned when he saw Betty. "Polly's little sister. Hey Bets, how are you?"

Betty rolled her eyes and grinned. She had noticed that Oliver had always seemed to be a big fan of her older sister. 

"I'm good, Olly. How's the band?"

Oliver Mantle grinned as he slung his guitar over his shoulder. "We're branching out. The musical talent in Riverdale is too fierce so we're moving to LA. Jimmy got us a record deal with his uncle's company at the last minute."

Betty gasped in surprise. "Gee, Olly, that's great! When are you leaving?"

"At the end of the week."

Betty grinned slyly. "Last I heard, LA was where Polly is stationed."

Oliver blushed. "Really?"

Betty grinned. "I'm sure she'd love to catch up with a old friend. Bye Olly, good luck with everything!"

Betty hurried down the sidewalk. Originally she had been supposed to go to Pop's diner to meet Veronica but now Ronnie was sick. 

This meant that she had a bit of time to spare. She decided to phone Jughead. 

He picked up after the second ring. "Hey Bets, did you need something?"

"I just wanted to talk. Can you meet me at Pop's?"

"Sure. I'll be there in 15."

Betty smiled as she put down the phone. Thank goodness she had Juggie. 

She decided that she better put on her sneakers though. It was a good idea to put them in her backpack after all. Her feet were killing her. 

As she walked to the diner, she thought about how strange Reggie had been acting. She had chalked it up to him being sick but if she was being honest with herself, she wasn't too sure. 

It almost seemed like he had been flirting with her. However she knew that couldn't be true. Reggie was head over heels in love with Veronica. 

Betty sighed. She couldn't help but be jealous. Ronnie would never be someone's second choice. 

She could only hope that one day, even if it wasn't Archie, she would be someone's first choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I finally posted! The chapter became too long so I split it up into two. Now the next chapter is about halfway done :) Hope this chapter is alright! First #Beggie interaction and it can only get better ;)


	5. Chapter 5

Jughead would be lying if he said that he wasn't relieved when he received Betty's text. 

Frankly he had been looking for a way to escape. After school, like always, he had gone to Pickens Park with Archie to skate. 

On any other day this would have been fine. However Archie was still moping about Betty. 

Jughead had been so close to rushing off to meet Betty but then he felt bad. Archie was still a good friend of his and Jughead was planning to ditch him! 

He turned his head to where Archie was trying to get his skateboard out of the tree. Just minutes before, his friend had miscalculated the distance of the skateboard and it had catapulted into the tree. 

Archie was distracted and it was reflecting on his skating. 

Jughead quickly walked over to the tree and leaned up to grasp the skateboard in his hands. He was taller than Archie by an inch or two and judging by the look of things, it might have taken his friend a while to get the skateboard down. 

Jughead then handed the skateboard to Archie as his freckled friend muttered, "Thanks."

Jughead had given an imperceptible nod. Then he tilted his head. "Hey Arch, do you maybe want to give this a raincheck? You seem a bit distracted."

Archie had sighed. "I know, I know, you're right." He ran his hand through his hair. "It's just this Betty situation has really got me down." 

Jughead sighed too. He felt bad for Archie but in all honesty his friend had brought this on himself.

Archie smiled at Jughead then which made Jughead feel incredibly guilty. He was ditching Archie for Betty. "A raincheck sounds good. Tomorrow?"

Jughead had just nodded. "Tomorrow's good for me. I'll see you then."

Archie grabbed his skateboard and waved at Jughead as he skated off. As soon as Archie left, Jughead turned in the direction of the diner. 

Feeling a slight pang of guilt, he reasoned to himself that he'd probably be going to Pop's anyways. The onion rings were to die for. 

Now Jughead found himself waiting at Pop's for Betty. He had already spotted a couple of familiar faces when entering the diner. 

Nancy Woods was sitting in a booth between her boyfriend Chuck Clayton and Frankie Valdez. 

Jughead had decided to sit at the counter and talk to Pop Tate while he waited for Betty. 

Pop had given him a hearty clap on the back when he had arrived and asked him how he'd been.

Jughead had smiled. Pop Tate had become like family to him over the years. It was bound to happen with Jughead being a daily visitor. 

As Jughead was busy recounting his week to Pop, he heard the faint bell that signaled the diner door had opened.

"Jughead!"

Jughead turned around. Betty had finally arrived. He smiled at her. "Should we get a booth?"

She was about to answer when she was interrupted by another voice. "Bets? Thank goodness! Save me!"

It was Frankie Valdez. He bounded over to Jughead and Betty. He then proceeded to sling an arm around Betty.

Betty's eyes lit up. "Frankie! How are you?"

Frankie put on a show of wiping his eyes. "Not terribly good, I'm afraid. Maria's left me all on my lonesome."

Betty laughed. "Oh yes, Maria's off in New York visiting her cousins. I almost forgot!"

Frankie nodded. Then he pointed to the booth he had come from. "And now I'm third-wheeling these two!"

Jughead could see where Frankie was coming from. Chuck and Nancy were so in love, it was sickening. 

The two had been together for three years and in spite of the many arguments they had gotten into over the years, they were still going strong. 

Frankie caught Jughead's disgusted expression and pointed at him. "See! Jones gets it!"

Betty turned to Jughead and shook her head. "That's because he despises any form of romance."

Frankie pouted at Betty. "He seems to be my only ally in this unfortunate situation too."

Betty laughed and took Jughead's hand. "Come on, Juggie. Let's join their booth and put poor Frankie out of his misery."

Frankie sighed in relief. "I love you, Betty Cooper."

Betty ignored Frankie's well-known dramatics.

She led both boys to Nancy and Chuck's booth. She smiled as she greeted the happy couple. "Hey, Chuck. Hey, Nancy."

Nancy jumped up to hug Betty. "Hey Bets," she indicated her head to Frankie,"Has this boy been bothering you?"

Betty grinned. "You know Frankie, no more than usual."

Frankie huffed. "I had to find somebody who would understand my plight."

Nancy smacked him. "Hush now boy, you're only embarrassing yourself."

"Ow!" Frankie exclaimed. He mumbled something under his breath as they all sat down. 

Nancy raised her eyebrow at him and he quickly stopped. Betty found herself internally laughing. Nancy was a no-nonsense kind of person and Frankie didn't stand a chance. 

Jughead glanced at Nancy's boyfriend, Chuck, who was being strangely quiet and scribbling in some notebook. "Hey Chuck, what are you doing?"

Chuck was so engrossed in what he was doing that he only looked up when Nancy nudged him.

"Oh, this?" He held up a book with some carefully constructed blocks. "I'm just sketching the outline for a comic book I'm creating. Ms. Kandinsky says I need to up the edge if I want to get into NYU or Cooper Union."

Jughead nodded in understanding. Chuck had always been a talented artist and he loved comic books. This would be right up his alley.

He inched closer to Chuck. "Need any help?"

Chuck grinned. "If you're up for it, yeah! You published that cookbook last year, right?"

Jughead nodded then he looked over to Betty. "It was really a joint effort. Betty cooked and I critiqued her food. All the ones we really liked, I added in as recipes."

Betty grinned. "Thanks Juggie."

Jughead shrugged. 

Pops then walked to their booth to take Jughead and Betty's orders as the others had already ordered.

Jughead started. "I'll have four double cheese hamburgers, two large curly fries, two batches of onion rings and one strawberry milkshake as well as one vanilla milkshake."

Frankie gaped. "Is that all for you?" 

Jughead looked affronted. "No, I ordered for Betty too."

Betty giggled. "To clarify, I'm having a hamburger, curly fries, onion rings and a milkshake. The rest is for Jughead."

Nancy shook her head. "These boys and their damn metabolisms."

Chuck frowned. "Nance, babe, I'm not so bad."

Nancy raised her eyebrow. "Just last week, after football practice, you and Archie were here with about six burgers between the two of you." 

Nancy suddenly winced. Then she turned to Betty. "Sorry. Forgot you were having issues."

Betty put her hand on Nancy's shoulder. "It's fine. I've just realized that Archie's always going to be a grade-A jerk."

Nancy chuckled. "Now I don't mind Archie but he really is the most clueless boy I've ever met."

Everyone at the table chuckled. Nancy had hit the nail on the head. They could all remember a time when Archie had completely misinterpreted what people were saying and making a mess of things instead. 

Jughead grabbed Betty's hand under the table when he noticed a lone tear escaping her eye. Betty had been the one hurt the most by Archie's cluelessness.

Betty smiled at him in appreciation.

Nancy, noticing Betty's expression, decided to change the subject. "So does everyone know what they want to do after high school? I want to study design at the NYU Tisch School of Art or NYU Stern but I applied to Cooper Union and Parsons too."

Chuck grinned and nudged Frankie. "She wants to be close to me."

Nancy rolled her eyes. "You were the one who asked me where I was applying."

Chuck pouted. "You don't want to be close to me?"

Nancy sighed and leaned into his side. "Of course I do, baby. That's why I'm currently searching for an apartment in the city for us."

Frankie half-whispered. "See! This is what I have to deal with."

Both Nancy and Chuck shouted, "Shut up Frankie!"

As Betty told the group her university options (Columbia being her top choice), a waiter arrived with their food. 

Betty had been handed the wrong milkshake and her and Jughead promptly swapped. 

Chuck noticed this and asked, "What, sweet Betty Cooper doesn't like strawberry?"

Betty stuck her tongue out at him. "For your information, I'm allergic to strawberries."

Chuck eagerly leaned across the table. "Do you swell up and everything?"

Betty rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Chuck? You sound absolutely fascinated by this."

Nancy laughed. "He totally is! I don't understand it because I get squeamish just thinking about things like that. Do you know what his comic book is going to feature?"

Everyone shook their heads while Chuck gleefully shouted, "Zombies!"

Deciding that Chuck didn't even deserve a response, Betty turned to Frankie. "So when does Maria come back?"

Frankie looked glum. "Only on Friday which means I have two days to wait."

Betty looked thoughtful. "Didn't you have some musical gig planned for the talent show?"

Frankie sighed. "Yeah, Maria wrote an amazing song but the only problem is that it's a duet and I can't find a partner."

Betty squeezed his arm. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone soon."

Frankie smiled. "Thanks Betty!"

Betty quickly checked her watch. "Sorry guys, I have to go. Obligatory Cooper family night is every Wednesday and I can't be late." 

Jughead stood up. "I'll walk you."

Betty shook her head. "It's okay, I can walk by myself. Besides it's out of your way."

Betty started walking and when Jughead moved to follow her, she didn't protest. It would be nice to have some company anyway.

Betty hollered,"Bye Nance, bye Chuck, bye Frankie! See you tomorrow!"

Everyone echoed her sentiments. As they were leaving, Betty turned around to thank Pop Tate for the delicious food when she suddenly bumped into someone.

Betty turned around. She was horrified. "Oh! I'm so sorry!"

The girl shrugged off her apology. "It's alright. Really! I wasn't paying much attention either. I had a tune stuck in my head and it's the only thing I'm really concentrating on." 

Betty smiled. "I'm Betty Cooper and this is Jughead Jones."

The girl shyly smiled in return. "I'm Brigitte Reilly. I just moved here with my dad. I'm an exchange student from Waynesboro High, Centerville."

Betty smiled in recognition. "That's right. Miss Phlips, the secretary, told me there was a new girl. I'm head of the welcoming committee at Riverdale High so if you ever need anything, you can come to me."

Brigitte sighed in relief. "Thank you, that means a lot. I've been so worried about starting tomorrow."

Jughead grinned. "If you ever need help, Bets is your girl."

Betty looked pleased. "Is that a compliment I hear, Juggie?"

Jughead laughed and then leaned in conspiratorially, "Don't tell anyone, it'll ruin my reputation."

At Brigitte's confused expression, Betty elaborated for her, "Jughead has been known to be a women-hater. Obviously it's not true, he just hasn't found the right person."

Jughead rolled his eyes. "Betty's being her naturally optimistic self. I just prefer food to girls and apparently there's something wrong with that."

Both Betty and Brigitte laughed. Then Betty grabbed Jughead by the hand. "It's been lovely meeting you Brigitte and I'll see you tomorrow. I have to leave though for my family night and Juggie has insisted that he walks me home."

Brigitte just laughed and bid the pair good-bye. 

As they exited the diner, Betty turned to Jughead. "You really don't have to walk me home, you know?"

Jughead nodded. "I know but I want to." 

Betty didn't know how to reply so she chose to change the subject.

"So where do you want to go for university? You want to study writing, hey?"

Jughead nodded. "I'm not too sure yet, maybe Emerson College or Greendale Community College or something."

He then turned to her. "Why Columbia University?"

"Firstly they have an amazing journalism program. There's also this opportunity to do an exchange program where I can study journalism in France for a year or two and get a dual degree."

Jughead whistled. "Wow, you sure have your life planned out Bets."

Betty blushed. "I've wanted to be a journalist for as long as I can remember so I've had a bit of time to plan."

Jughead chuckled. Betty was just so cute. If anything, he really enjoyed spending time with her. 

They had just reached Betty's front door when she turned to him. "Thanks for walking me home. I'm sorry we didn't get much time to talk at Pop's."

As Betty leaned closer to him, Jughead felt his throat go dry. "Tha-That's okay Bets. I'm just glad we got to spend some time together."

Betty was about to reply when she heard her mother call her name. She turned around to face Alice Cooper. "Hi mom."

Alice Cooper grinned. "Guess who's home." As she spoke, a blonde male stepped out from inside the front door. 

Betty's eyes lit up. "Chic!" 

Chic laughed as Betty came running and wound her arms tightly around him. He could hear a slight sniffling and he frowned. "Betty, are you crying?"

Betty smacked him. "You were shot! You could have died!"

Jughead shifted awkwardly. He felt as if he were intruding on an intimate family moment. 

He turned to leave but was stopped by a shout from Alice Cooper. "Mr Jones, where do you think you're going?"

He turned around puzzled. "I was just on my way home, Mrs Cooper."

Alice Cooper tutted. "That won't do. You must join us."

Jughead quickly shook his head. "I couldn't intrude."

Alice laughed. "Jughead Jones refusing food? I thought that I'd seen everything. I'm not just being polite though, Jughead. I was so excited about Chic's return that I cooked more food than we needed."

Betty tilted her head at Jughead. Then she winked. "We need you Juggie." 

Jughead held his hands up. "Okay, okay, you got me. Let the Cooper family feast begin!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I finally updated! Sorry for the wait, I had a terrible case of writer's block.


End file.
